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A Philadelphia
Christian
Daniel Frendo
Jesus Christ “hath
made us kings and
priests unto God and his
Father… and hast made us
unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall
reign on the earth” (Rev.
1:6 and Rev. 5:10). “Him
that overcomes will I
make a pillar in the
temple of my God”, Jesus
Christ goes on to
thunder to His
faithful begotten
children in Rev. 3:12.
As events in the Church
and in the World clearly
demonstrate how close we
must be to the coming of
the Son of Man and to
the Day of the Lord as a
“thief in the night”, we
need to understand that
we also live in those
Bible times during which
it was prophesied that
“there shall be
two in one bed”,
“two shall
be grinding together”, “two
shall be in the field”
(Luke 17:34-36).
In the very near future,
Jesus
Christ “will give
power unto His
two
witnesses, and they
shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and
threescore days” (Rev.
11:3). The time is soon
coming when the very few
faithful Philadelphians
will be ‘taken’ to their
promised place of
protection from this
time of greatest trouble
ever on this Earth,
whereas the lukewarm
Laodiceans will be
spewed out of Christ’s
mouth into the Great
Tribulation, (Rev. 3:16,
10).
The sure Word of God
clearly shows us that
those individuals who
display the
Laodicean
characteristics, the
ones who mainly prevail
during this Laodicean
era, shall be
‘left’; whilst
the faithful few
shall be ‘taken’
to a place of protection
(Matt. 24:40-41).
The scriptures in Luke
17:37 is closely
connected to Rev. 3:10.
Here, our Head promises
that the faithful
Philadelphians who
“keep the word of His
patience” will be spared
from the Great
Tribulation. This
expression means that we
must be keeping our
eyes upon (Strong’s
G5083) the Divine
expression, which is
Christ (Strong’s
G3056). As we determine
to continue to learn
and receive
God’s Word – His truth –
we will then be “taken”,
so we may be received
into an intimate
relationship
(Strong’s G3080).
On the other hand, the
“blind” Laodiceans
who believe that they
are “rich, and increased
with goods, and have
need of nothing” (Rev.
3:17), both physically
and spiritually
(Strong’s G4147:
wealthy, fig. or lit.)
will be “left”; because
they forsake
truth, they are put
away (Strong’s
G863).
Never was there a time
as urgent as today that
we need to personally
ask ourselves the
question, where do
I stand? Am I part of
Philadelphia, or
Laodicea?
Do I uphold the
standards of Jesus
Christ?
Philadelphia
means fraternal
affection, love
of the brethren or
brotherly love.
It’s thus obvious that
one trait of being part
of Philadelphia is
expressing genuine love
toward the brethren,
which may also entail
sacrifice.
Philadelphia
Ministers’
responsibility
We ministers must make
certain that we fulfill
the very high calling of
having been inducted
into Christ’s ministry –
for service toward
His people,
who are our
beloved brethren.
Together, we are all
members of one Family,
about to be born of God
as God Beings.
Through Jeremiah 23 and
Ezekiel 34, we
understand that during
this Laodicean era, more
than at any other time,
ministers have been very
much responsible for
scattering God’s flock.
See also Jer. 50:6.
Every minister must look
into the spiritual
mirror of God’s Word. We
must continue to ensure
that none of us become
responsible for causing
any kind of confusion
and discouragement among
God’s faithful sheep. We
have seen enough
“shepherds” who have
been abusive toward
God’s precious sheep. We
must continue to fear
God and always be
mindful of His specific
warning to the ministry:
“Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Behold, I am
against the shepherds;
and I will require my
flock at their hand, and
cause them to cease from
feeding the flock;
neither shall the
shepherds feed
themselves any more; for
I will deliver my flock
from their mouth, that
they may not be meat for
them” (Ezek. 34:10).
A Philadelphia
minister will thus be
teaching, encouraging,
protecting and serving
the brethren in every
way possible.
Philadelphia
ministers and lay
members alike recognize
that we are all human
and therefore subject to
error. This keeps us
aware that Christ, as
Head of the Church, will
correct and redirect us
when wrong, for the good
of all. The faithful
Christian understands
that he will sometimes
have to exercise
patience here; Christ
may not act immediately
and may use a situation
to test everyone to see
how prepared we are to
wait without slipping
into rebellion.
Here’s what God
promises His
faithful shepherds – His
Philadelphia
ministers – as a reward
for their loving care
and concern for His
flock: “The elders which
are among you I exhort…
Feed the flock of God
which is among you,
taking the oversight
thereof, not by
constraint, but
willingly; not for
filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind; Neither as
being lords over
God’s heritage, but
being ensamples to the
flock. And when the
chief Shepherd shall
appear, ye shall receive
a crown of glory that
fadeth not away” (I Pet.
5:1-4).
Philadelphia
Christians do God’s Work
In John 21:17, Jesus
asked Simon Peter
whether he loved Him.
“He saith to him the
third time, Simon, son
of Jonas, lovest you me?
Peter was grieved
because he said unto him
the third time, lovest
you me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest
all things; thou knowest
that I love thee. Jesus
said to him, Feed
my sheep”.
Feeding Christ’s sheep
was the formula that the
apostle Peter had to
activate, to prove his
love for Christ. Loving
the brethren includes
nourishing them. Proper
food must include
instruction that
reflects continuous
deeper understanding of
Truth, which will
include a real
understanding of that
basic instruction that
God had given us through Mr.
Herbert W. Armstrong.
Proper Christian
fellowship is another
key that is conducive to
maturing in spiritual
growth. The apostle Paul
recognized the vital
importance of getting
together more often, as
we see that the Day of
the Lord is approaching,
so we may stir up and
exhort one another (Heb.
10:24-25).
The commission that God
gave His high priest and
those who rally to his
support at this time,
immediately prior to the
coming of the BRANCH, is
to walk in His ways
and to keep His
charge (Zech.
3:7-8).
A Philadelphia
Christian will thus be
striving to increasingly
develop God’s mind as he
daily harvests the
fruits of God’s Holy
Spirit – His very
characteristics (Gal.
5:22-23). A faithful
Christian will
reveal by his actions
that he is producing
good fruit: “But the
fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace,
longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness,
temperance
[“self-control”]:
against such there is no
law” (Gal. 5:22-23). A
faithful
Christian will be urgent
in his endeavour to get
ready, as well as help
get others ready, for
“the marriage of the
Lamb” (Rev. 19:7).
Here’s what Jesus Christ
states about this
particular moment in
Church history: “As many
as I love, I rebuke and
chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at
the door, and knock:
if any man hear my
voice, and open the
door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with
him, and he with me”
(Rev. 3:19-20). A
Philadelphia
Christian grasps that
Christ is very upset
with Laodicean
Christians and that He
is about to spew them
into the Great
Tribulation (Rev. 3:16).
This will fill us up
with great urgency to
boldly “blow the trumpet
in Zion, and sound an
alarm in (His) holy
mountain” (Joel 2:1), as
we zealously and
urgently do Christ’s
Work in love.
We must be living by
God’s law of love,
thereby expressing love
to God and to neighbour
as a way of life. “By
this shall all men know
that ye are my
disciples, if ye have
love one to another”
(John 13:35). A
Philadelphia
Christian will be eager
and enthusiastic and
deeply concerned for his
brethren. He will be
quick to forgive, and
always ready to support
and encourage others
(Heb. 10:24-25). A
Philadelphia
Christian will always go
directly to anyone who
he may believe has
wronged him, rather than
talk about the perceived
problem to others (Matt.
18:15-17). He will also
have no problem
admitting when wrong.
Continuing
Growth for
Philadelphia
God’s faithful
Church – the Body of
Jesus Christ – will
never stop growing.
God’s Philadelphia
Christians will never be
afraid of New Truth. A
Philadelphia
Christian will
continue to
“grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ” (II Pet. 3:18).
This is in direct
contrast to a
Laodicean Christian
who is characterized as
becoming one who begins
to believe and say that
he has it all (Rev.
3:17)! To the
Laodicean Christian,
his church’s “doctrines”
become untouchable, even
when most important and
timely new understanding
right out of God’s Word
exposes them to be in
serious gross error.
When deeper
understanding is given
by Jesus Christ, we must
be prepared to accept it
and internalize it.
A Philadelphia
Christian will accept
and understand whatever
knowledge and deeper
understanding God
reveals that
emanates from, and is
supported by, His sure
Word.
The faithful
Church of God is set
apart by truth (John
17:17). God’s truth
establishes correct
doctrine, which leads to
UNITY. This, in turn,
helps the Bride to be
ready for the marriage
of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7).
In such an environment,
God’s Government in the
Church will function the
way that He expects. It
will be government from
the top down, with Jesus
Christ as Head, then the
Pastor General, and the
ministers in accordance
with their various
offices of
responsibility and so on
– ALL speaking the same
thing (I Cor. 1:10).
This is the stuff a
Philadelphia
Christian is made of!
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